Impact of an enhanced recovery after surgery protocol on short-term outcomes in elderly patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy.

BACKGROUND

To determine whether the short-term benefits associated with an enhanced recovery after surgery programme (ERAS) following pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) vary with age.

METHODS

830 consecutive patients who underwent PD between January 2009 and March 2019 were divided according to age: elderly (≥75 years) vs. non-elderly patients (<75 years). Within each age group, cohort characteristics and outcomes were compared between patients treated pre- and post-ERAS (ERAS was systematically introduced in December 2012). Univariable and multivariable analysis were then performed, to assess whether ERAS was independently associated with length of hospital stay (LOS).

RESULTS

Of the entire cohort, 577 of 830 patients (69.5%) were managed according to an ERAS protocol, and 170 patients (20.5%) were aged ≥75 years old. Patients treated post-ERAS were significantly more comorbid than those pre-ERAS, with a mean Charlson Comorbidity Index of 4.6 vs. 4.1 (p < 0.001) and 6.0 vs. 5.7 (p = 0.039) for the non-elderly and elderly subgroups, respectively. There were significantly fewer medical complications in non-elderly patients treated post-ERAS compared to pre-ERAS (12.4% vs. 22.4%; p = 0.002), but not in elderly patients (23.6% vs. 14.0%; p = 0.203). On multivariable analysis, ERAS was independently associated with reduced LOS in both elderly (14.8% reduction, 95% CI: 0.7-27.0%, p = 0.041) and non-elderly patients (15.6% reduction, 95% CI: 9.2-21.6%, p < 0.001), with the effect size being similar in each group.

CONCLUSION

ERAS protocols can be safely applied to patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy irrespective of age. Implementation of an ERAS protocol was associated with a significant reduction in postoperative LOS in both elderly and non-elderly patients, despite higher comorbidity in the post-ERAS period.